Tension device



D. H. MURPHY TENSION DEVICE July 29 19245 l"ild July 51. 1923 ATTORNEY Patented July 29, 1924.

STATES seazns PATENT ()FFICE.

DANIEL MURPHY, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASIGNO'R T AMERICAN WIREMOLD COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF UON- TENSION DEVICE.

Application filed. Ju1y'31, 1923. Serial No. 654,818.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, DANIEL HJMURPHY,

I the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates totension devices for braiding machines.

The braid-forming thread or filament used upon braiding machines is commonly wound upon tubes, and these tubes are mounted upon spindles that supporttheftubes for rotationby a pull uponthe thread or filament.

The present invention, relates to a tension device in the form of a bar that is constructed to rest upon the upper face of the thread or filament mass to retard the rotation of the mass by the unwinding thread or filament.

. An important feature of the present'invention resides in a tension bar which extends longitudinally of and rests upon" a thread or filament mass, and is provided with means for holding the 'bar' in place upon the mass, and for guiding the bar downwardly as the mass decreases in. size. Another feature of the invention resides in simple means for varying the weight of the tension bar to thereby vary its tension effect. I Still another feature of the inve'ntionre sides in a pair of tension bars, one of which rests on the thread or filament mass and the second bar rests upon the first, so that i the bouncing or-vibratory movement of one bar tends to neutralize the movement of the other and exert a more uniform pressure on the'thread or filament mass.

' braidingmachine provided with the tension d i e of the present invent o nd ,The above and other features of' the in-: vention will be hereinafter des'cribed in Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation with parts in section of one of the thread supplies of Fig. lhaving the present tension device associated therewith.

The tension device of the present invention may be used upon various types of braiding machinesto tension the threads or filaments of either the outer or inner thread supplies, and it may be used to tension thread, yarn, silk, wire or various other forms of filaments that maybe employed upon a braiding machine but hereinafter the term thread will be used in its broad sense to designate all of these different kinds of filaments.

.The braiding machine shown in part in Fig. 1 as employing the tension device of the present invention hasa table 1 of circular contour, and rising from the table is the fixed cam plate 2. Disposed .centrally of the table 1 is the sleeve or tube 3 through which the braid 4 passes, and the lowerend portion of the tube'3 may be tapered as shown to form what is termed the braiding point 5. The tube'3 is supported'from a fixed part of the machine frame by the arm 6, and the braid upon leaving the tube 3 may pass to take-up means, not shown.

ithin the circular table 1 is mounted the main revolving frame 7 which is of circular contour and is supported and rotated by means, not shown. Upon-the frame 7 is mounted the ring 8 which may be insulated from the frame 7 by the non-conductors 9, and rising from the ring 8 are the posts "10 which support the outer'thread supply 11.

The thread supplies, as stated, are commonly wound upon tubes 12 and these tubes may be mounted upon and rotatably supported by spindles 13 theends of which are reduced as at 1 1 and these ends are rotatably mounted in the slots 15 at the upper end of the posts 10. r The thread 16 is shown as passing from the source ,of thread supply 11 under the bar 17 andthrough the guides 18 and 19, and then about a post 20 at the pivot point :of therock-inglever 21. Rocking movement is impartedto the lever 21 by a sliding shoe "22, to raiseand lower the thread 16' so that the thread will pass alternately above and below the'inner source t th e d a ert). n t e thread Pas e supplies 28 and the thread 29 is led from the supply 28 through suitable guides to the braiding point 5. v

The construction so far described forms no part of the present invention and may be any well-known or preferred type of braiding machine, and the same has been shown and briefly described to make clear the application of the tension device, to be described, to the same. i

The tension device of thepresent invention may be variously constructed, and in the embodiment of the invention shown V each source of thread supply 11 is provided 4 with a pair of tension bars 30 and 31 formed of metal or other material and lying one above the other upon the upper side of the wound mass of thread 11. It is not essential, however, that two bars be provided as one bar may he used to exert the desired retarding effect upon the rotation of the thread mass, but the rotation of the mass upon which the tension bar rests tends to impart a bouncing or vibratory movement to the bar and where two bars are used, as

in the present case, each bar tends to neutralize the movement of the other, to thereby exert a more uniform pressure on the thread mass.

Different means may be employed for maintaining the tension bar or bars in position upon the thread mass 11, and a good construction to this end consists of an inverted U-shaped rod 32 having the down wardly extending legs 33 that extend loosely through apertures 34 in the bars 30 and 31, and the lower ends of the legs 33 are inserted freely in sockets 35 formed in the upper end of the posts 10.

It may be desirable to vary the retarding effect which the tension bar, 30 exerts upon the rotating thread mass 11, and this is readily done by placing one or more weights 36 upon each end of the upper bar 31. The weights are conveniently perforated as at 37-t receive the legs 33 of the U-shaped rod which maintains the weights in place upon the bars.

By providing a U-shaped rod to maintain the tension bar or bars and weights in place, danger of the bars and weights being accidentally knocked off is avoided and the rounded bends 38 of the rod afford a smooth surface which is a protection to the operinner thread carriers consist ofator. It will be apparent that the tension bars and weights are free to move downwardly as the diameter of the thread mass is reduced, and that they will exert a continuous retarding effect upon the unwinding thread mass 11.

The tension device of the present inven tion is well adapted for use upon high speed braiding machines, because since the tension bar rests upon the upper face of the yarn mass and is held in place thereupon by vertical guide posts, the operation of the tension bar is not appreciably affected by the centrifugal force due to the high speed at which the yarn carriers travel.

hat is claimed is:

1. In a braiding machine, the combination of a thread mass supported for rotation about a horizontal axis to unwind the yarn or thread, a gravity tension bar extending longitudinally of and resting upon the upper face ofthe yarn or thread mass to retard the rotation of the mass, and guides at the opposite ends of the tension bar and having sliding engagement with the bar t retain it in place against lateral displacement while permitting it to follow the rm gradually diminishing thread mass 2. In a braiding machine, the combination of a thread mass supported for rotation about a horizontal axis to unwind the thread, a gravity tension bar restingupon an upper surface of the thread mass to retard the rotation of the mass, removable weights resting upon said bar, and vertical guides for retaining the bar in position upon the thread mass and for guiding the baras it moves downwardly upon the, d creasing thread mass.

3. In a braiding machine, the combination of a thread mass supported for rotation about a horizontal axis to unwind the thread, a tension bar resting upon the up, per side of the thread mass to retard the rotation of the mass, and posts for guiding the tension bar downwardly toward the axis of the thread mass as the mass gradually decreases in size.

4. In a braiding machine, the combination of a thread mass supported for rotation about a horizontal axis to unwind the thread, a gravity tensionibar resting upon the thread mass to retard -the rotation of the mass, spaced posts for guiding the tension bar as it moves downwardly, and removable weights resting upon the tension bar and retained in place thereupon by the posts. a a

5. In a braiding machine, the combination ofa thread mass supported for rotation about a horizontal axis to unwind the sion bar resting upon the thread mass, wh1le the second tension bar rests on the first, whereby bouncing or vibratory movement of each bar tends to neutralize the movement of the other to thereby exert a more uniform pressure upon the yarn mass, and means for maintaining the bars in position upon the yarn mass.

6. In a braiding machine, the combination of a spindle for supporting a thread mass and adapted to be rotated by the pull upon the thread, means for rotatably sup porting the opposite ends of said spindle, a tension bar extending longitudinally of and resting upon the yarn or thread mass, and posts extending upwardly from the spindle-supporting means at points adjacent the ends of the spindle and engaging the tension bar to maintain the bar in position upon the yarn or thread mass as it gradually diminishes in diameter.

7. In a braiding machine, the combination of a thread mass supported for rotation about a horizontal axis to unwind the thread, a gravity tension bar resting upon the upper surface of the thread mass to retard the rotation of the mass, and a U- shaped rod extending over said bar and having downwardly extending legs engaging the tension bar to maintain the latter in place upon the thread mass,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

DANIEL H. MURPHY. 

